The Spanish Tycoon's Temptress Page 0,43
that she was just a manipulative person who sucked people into her web before moving on to capture the next person in her sticky net.
His plan was simple. Drive her crazy with desire, bed her and get her out of his system. After the wedding, move on to the next person but with his father’s book in his possession. All very simple and this time he would get everything he wanted out of the relationship, including her in his bed for as long as it would take to finally exorcise her from his mind. She’d been there for too long and it was time for him to get this thing done.
“Okay, so you won’t come to the lake house with me because you want to get this place into shape. What can I do to help?”
Elana stared at him, her eyes moving up and down his clothes, ignoring the sharp twist of desire that shot through her as she noted the incredible physique underneath the expensive clothes. “Gaston, that sweater alone probably cost more than my rent. This is a dirty job. If you want to go to your lake house then go. I’m painting and getting new pillows and possibly new curtains if I can find some in my price range.”
He looked around, then nodded. “Okay, what first? Paint or pillows?”
She laughed and crossed her arms over her chest. “Neither with you. Go home,” she emphasized.
He laughed and leaned forward slightly. “Not going to happen. I told you, you’re my investment and you’re still not eating very well.”
She reared back. “I ate last night!”
He raised one eyebrow and shook his head. “Two appetizers does not a meal make. And what did you have for lunch?” he asked, a knowing look on his handsome face as he looked down at her. “And what were you planning to eat for breakfast this morning?” He chuckled softly when her mouth opened, then closed again without any words of what she ate. “My point is made, Elana. Accept it. I’m here with you. Either come with me to the lake house or I go with you to do whatever you’re going to do this weekend.”
She rolled her eyes and sighed heavily. “Gaston, I’m going to the hardware store and the cheapest department store around. There’s nothing in either place that will interest you at all. Besides, you’ll just be in the way.”
He shrugged his shoulders. “I don’t care what you say. I’m coming with you.”
Her shoulders drooped slightly, not wanting him around her while she shopped. But she had no idea how to get rid of him. It was one thing to slip out of his place unobserved. It was another issue entirely when he was exactly where she was going to be all weekend. “Fine,” she said with ill grace. “I’m off to the hardware store to get paint. Come if you’d like. I don’t care, but I’m driving.”
He laughed at that statement, already shaking his head. “Not a chance. Not in that death trap. Besides, I wouldn’t even fit in the driver’s seat.”
“Who says you’ll be driving?” she demanded as she grabbed her keys off of the hook by the door and pulled open her apartment door. “I drive my own car.” It was amusing to think of him trying to fold his tall, muscular frame into the passenger seat of her tiny vehicle though.
He didn’t even laugh. “I’m driving,” he countered resolutely.
When they got down to the parking lot, she headed straight for her beat up old Beetle. But he wasn’t having any of that and simply put his hand on her waist and pushed her towards his sparklingly beautiful black sedan. “I can’t go buy paint in this car,” she told him and dug her heels in, not moving an inch as she glared up at him.
“Why not?”
“Because this car probably cost more than the entire building!”
He snorted at that. “Get real,” he snapped and opened the passenger seat. “Either get into the car or let me have some painters out here to get the painting done for you. Your choice.”
She glared up at him, still feeling mutinous. “You keep giving me these ‘do it my way or else’ ultimatums. Is this just your way of being charming?”
“Of course,” he came back, a boyish-like smile on his face and he nudged her into the passenger seat, slamming the door on her burst of laughter.
Damn him! She hated it when he made her laugh. She hated his charm and his